McGraw's Best (and Worst) of 2009

Despite my recent absence from writing, I find it is never too late to celebrate great filmmaking. However, we as a society must remain constantly vigilant against the imminent threat of terrible box office atrocities. Thus, I have also included my “Worst 3 Films of 2009” as a sordid reminder of what can happen when films are made for evil purposes instead of good. As many great historians have asserted, only in remembering the past can we prevent mistakes from happening again in the future.

Worst 3:

3) Jennifer’s Body: This could have easily been just a forgettable high school slasher film. But no. Juno author Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusamo created a self-referential title that relies heavily on “hip” one-liners instead of actual social commentary about femininity in a post-September 11th world (topics the film is supposedly about). The additional insistence on the uniqueness and self-importance of the project turns a potentially unremarkable film into a particularly loathsome endeavor.

2) The Limits of Control: As one of Jim Jarmusch’s most devout fans, I was extremely disappointed with this film. Jarmusch is known for his meticulous attention to detail and gradual development of plot. However, the dialogue in Limits, so often a strength of Jarmusch’s works, comes across as stilted and tiresome. It took every ounce of control for me to watch the film in its entirety.

1) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: I believe my opinions about this film are part of the public record. Suffice it to say, I did not care for it.


With these contemptible films behind us, let’s celebrate the best of 2009.

10) Sherlock Holmes: File this under the “guilty pleasure” film category. Guy Ritchie’s interpretation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series is fast-paced and entertaining throughout. Though the over-the-top violence bears no resemblance to the original stories, strong performances by Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. kept my attention.

9) Tyson: I fully admit that I was completely fascinated by Mike Tyson’s career before watching this film. I expected to leave the viewing with a clearer picture of who Tyson really is. Instead, writer and director James Toback shows the inherent complexity of one of America’s most recognizable athletes. The film begins by showing Tyson as the raw, dominant boxing talent of the early 1990s and explores the highs and lows of his career and personal life. Using a combination of individual interviews and previously recorded footage, Toback depicts Tyson as a tormented man with a regrettable past. Few films have caused me to feel such conflicting emotions about a central tragic character.

8) Watchmen: I do not claim to be an expert on comic books or graphic novels (address those questions to Ben). Still, this beautifully designed film captured the essence of the Watchmen series. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film explores challenges traditional beliefs about superheroes and their influence over society using allegories about the creation of the nuclear bomb and geopolitical tensions.

7) Moon: This thought provoking film from Duncan Jones explores the depths of human consciousness and emotional attachment using the backdrop of complete isolation in space. It was extremely refreshing to see a science-fiction film rely on a well-developed plot instead of expensive CGI animation. Sam Rockwell’s performance is exceptional and has been unfortunately overlooked this awards season.

6) An Education: Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, the film describes an affair between a teenage girl and a middle-aged man. While this type story is nothing new, it is told with exceptional eloquence and romanticism. Believe the hype about Carey Mulligan. She took a routine “coming of age” story and turned it into one of the best films of the year. Instead of feeling demoralized by her circumstances, Mulligan leads us to feel inspired by her developing maturity. Peter Sarsgaard is nearly as good as the wealthy playboy whose wit and charm seem too good to be true. Even as his charming façade begins to unravel, I still felt myself drawn to his character.

5) The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow’s examination of an IED squad in Iraq is less about capturing the realities of war than it is about the emotional reasons we continue to engage in these violent conflicts in the first place. Jeremy Renner offers a strong and complex performance as Sgt. William James, a gung-ho soldier who only finds meaning in life from the adrenaline rush of the battlefield. The first half of the film has some of the best scenes of the American war film genre. Full review here.

4) Goodbye Solo: To use a term from A.O. Scott, director Ramin Bahrani is a “neo-neo realist.” That is to say he develops meaningful but opaque fictional characters that interact in recognizable ways with the realism of the post-September 11th world. Solo and William are two such characters, undoubtedly the most engaging acting duo of 2009. As their journey to Blowing Rock unfolds, you will connect with the emotions of the characters even though they do not resemble anyone you have seen before on the silver screen.

3) Gomorrah: American films have almost unanimously glorified the role of the gangster in society, by highlighting the wealth, women, and lifestyle that coincide with working with the mafia. To be sure, death is always looming in the background, but as Johnny Depp describes in Public Enemies, there are too many great things happening today to worry about tomorrow. Gomorrah, an Italian film that focuses on modern-day crime syndicates, has a drastically different assertion: There is only death and squalor. Despite the bleak circumstances of the characters portrayed in the film, I enjoyed this different, and most likely, more realistic take on life in the mafia.

2) Inglorious Basterds: Having rewatched this film twice, I stand firmly by my previous affections. This film is engrossing from the opening shot to the end credits. Building off strong performances from Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt, and most notably, Christoph Waltz, Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi revenge epic is endlessly engaging and exceptionally well-written. Even though it did not make the top of my list, this film will have the most lasting appeal and influence of anything released in 2009 (and yes, that includes Avatar).